Two Books I Won't Be Reading

I just can’t stop buying books. What’s wrong with me? Oh, right, I forgot, I’m crazy. Here’s two out-of-print books I won’t be reading (in their entirety, I’ll probably scan and browse) anytime soon.

The Writings of Martin Buber

I like to tell people I’ve read Buber’s big deal I and Thou and then quickly admit that, actually, I’ve read only half. I’m not sure I can think of a quicker introduction to Buber that does justice to him. He’s hard to read. Poetic, brilliant, dense. Always trying to explain something that you suspect he doesn’t fully understand himself. In fact, It would surprise me if he did fully understand what he was writing about.

The Writings of Martin Buber comes with some bonus material: a clipping from a yellowed newsprint magazine summarizing his ideas of The I and Thou relationship that’s been used as a bookmark. I feel like Indiana Jones when I find stuff like this in books. An actual holy relic.

The Portable Swift

Another author who’s had only half of his great work read by me, Jonathan Swift. Like a billion other kids I read a heavily abridged and edited (probably sanitized) Gulliver’s Travels. Like many other famous English works, that’s not even it’s correct title. The actual title is so long I’ve copied it from Wikipedia even though it’s right here in front of me on my desk, Vol. IV of the Author’s Works Including Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, in Four Parts, by Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and Then a Captain of Several Ships. Ah, the world before marketing. Today it would probably be titled, “Lem”.

I’ve been somewhat interested in reading the original version of Lem for a while. I won’t read it until I’m terribly interested. More pressing in my desires is Swift’s Modest Proposal. A satirical essay, apparently the satirical essay, that’s been somewhat influential over the years. Well, It’s been influential on me, at least. It’s method of argument, as described to me in High School, has been my starting point for debate and has led me to great success, laughs, and only a few minor threats of bodily harm. I hope it meets my expectations.

5 responses to “Two Books I Won't Be Reading”

  1. LOL!

    I know. I have two or three shelves of books which I own but which I have not yet read, a stack of library books I’m working on, and yet I still buy more books. Sigh.

  2. When I attended East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, I did some work-study in the microforms section of the school library. On microfiche was a collection of early American novels. If you get a chance, I would like to hear your thoughts on ‘Seven Brides and Seven Prisons. Confessions of a Matrimonial Maniac’. I forget the author.

    Just in case you are looking for something more obscure than the unabridged ‘Lem’. lol!

  3. Glad I’m not the only one with the crazy book-buying habit. I tell myself there are worse addictions, but at least those other addictions don’t take up quite so much room.

  4. Welcome to Upper Fort Stewart, Charlotte. I know what you mean about the room. I’ve just finally realized why my wife has been after me to buy a new set of bookshelves for the past year. I’m now into piles of books on the floor.

  5. I need to give you some kind of award for coming up with obscure books, Brad. Seven Brides and Seven Prisons: Confessions of a Matrimonial Maniac is a great title just waiting to be to turned into a movie, isn’t it?

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